FoodieChat

I must admit I’ve heard mixed reviews about Hurricanes, and hence it’s taken me so long to get there.  Mostly bad wraps about the service. But the only reason I can think of why that is, is that this place is SO POPULAR!!  Several times we’ve tried to rock up on various nights, only to find already big crowds waiting over drinks for a table, no doubt working up a huge appetite in the meantime!  Hurricanes is best known for its ribs, and they did not disappoint.  At only $33 for a full rack of pork ribs with your choice of baked potato or chips,

or the same price for lamb ribs:

you are guaranteed a long silence over dinner as your party licks their fingers and sucks the juicy saucy goodness out of those ribs.  Bibs are free of course! And so were the fireworks that night as we sat on the balcony overlooking Cockle Bay at the Darling Harbour restaurant – warm with the outdoor heaters enough for winter!   For those who can’t decide, the ribs and steak combo ($39) offers a 250g steak and a half rack.

For the accountants among us, we decided that it was actually better value if you wanted the chicken and ribs combo, to order a half chicken ($26) as well as a full rack ($33) and share between two than to order the combo for $39! (more…)

The words “all you can eat meat” lights up the eyes of many males (that I know at least).  And how else to eat it – but barbequed.  But not just any barbeque - this is the table top version that Koreans enjoy – hot steaming charcoals with your meat sizzling on a metal plate on top.  But let’s start with the side dishes, including the ever popular potato noodles. Also on offer for yoru $27.80 were pancakes, pickled vegetables, some spring rolls, and of course, that Korean national staple food – kimchi.

The noodles were clear and slippery and not too oily. I’m not a fan of kimchi myself, but there were at least 9 different pickles – of cucumber, tofu, bean shoots.

And now, onto the meat – vegetarian’s worst nightmare (note: go somewhere else to eat if you are!).  The huge selection includes beef tongue, marinated beef, the ever popular bulgogi (marinated pork), chicken wings, plain pork anbd beef, pork ribs, beef ribs.

You just grab what you want, whack it on your hotplate and away you go, munching on the noodles and sides if you can’t wait for it to cook.  It gets a bit smokey and your clothes and hair are likely to smell afterwards – so don’t wear your Sunday best! A really good value feed, and judging by the clientele – authentic too!

There’s some fruit to cleanse your palate at the end and to introduce some vegetable matter to aide digestion. And notice the very helpful sign under the fume hood!  Free parking for 3 hrs at the Mandarin Centre makes this an easy place to get to.

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Keep and eye out for this occasional special deal at Nick’s Bondi Beach Pavillion. For the measly price of $18 per person, you get unlimited platters of meat and seafood! “Meat” being tender grilled steak, chorizo sausage, mediterranean lamb skewers (I personally don’t eat lamb but my companions assure me it’s tender and full of flavour), succulent fall-off-the-bone ribs, and amazing grilled chicken. ”Seafood” means prawn cutlets which were good though slightly on the oily side, calamari rings (commercially produced), as well as battered fish of the day. The batter was light and crisp, and the fish tender and juicy. 

The service at this beachfront restaurant is responsive and friendly. Great for groups and for a casual good (big) feed. Not for dates – you don’t want to look like a carnivorous beast in front of your dream date do you? I’d definitely go again – when I recover from this one!